Climate zones in France, 1991 to 2020
Share of France's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,028,018 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 634,019 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 82%, A (tropical) 14%, D (cold (continental)) 4.1%, E (polar) 0.5%.
Cfb, temperate oceanic, is the main climate of France, covering 70% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Af (tropical rainforest) next at 7.4%. In plain terms, temperate oceanic means mild and damp, with no extremes. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 54% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cfa (humid subtropical). The most common zone would then be Cfa (humid subtropical).
How France's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 13% | 3.7% | Cfa +4.5 percentage points | Csb -2.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 29% | 1.6% | Cfa +21.3 percentage points | Cfb -21.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 54% | 2.3% | Cfa +40.3 percentage points | Cfb -42.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 82% | 3.2% | Cfa +55.5 percentage points | Cfb -68.3 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 72% | 70% | 49% | 28% | 2.1% |
| Af Tropical rainforest | 8.2% | 7.4% | 5% | 3.6% | 1.5% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 5.5% | 6.3% | 8.7% | 10% | 12% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 3% | 5.1% | 7% | 9.2% | 19% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 0.1% | 4.6% | 26% | 45% | 60% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 4.6% | 2.6% | 2% | 1.9% | 1.7% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 3.7% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 1.7% | 3% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| ET Tundra | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 0.2% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | - | - | 0.1% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in France and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | Cfb Temperate oceanic | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Marseille | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
Zones found in France
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Cfb. See data sources and licences.